Gasgoo Munich-At a State Council briefing on the rollout of the 15th Five-Year Plan, officials outlined efforts to accelerate "new industrialization." Addressing the looming wave of retired EV batteries, MIIT Vice Minister Xin Guobin announced plans to draft relevant regulations and launch joint enforcement actions during the 15th Five-Year Plan period — a move aimed at tightening oversight of the recycling sector.
Xin explicitly pledged to implement a digital ID system for power batteries, ensuring every unit can be traced back to its source and tracked to its final destination.
Image Source: FinDreams Battery
The digital ID relies on battery coding to link data across the entire lifecycle — from production and sales to battery swapping, maintenance, vehicle scrapping, and recycling. Under this system, every battery will carry a unique, traceable digital identifier, enabling end-to-end regulatory oversight.
Xin also set a specific target for battery recycling: by 2030, the comprehensive utilization of retired power batteries is expected to exceed 1 million tons.
The policy push comes as a wave of battery retirements accelerates. The China Automotive Strategy and Policy Research Center projects that the volume of retired EV batteries will surpass 400,000 tons in 2026 and top 1 million tons by 2030.
Notably, 2025 alone saw 820,000 tons of batteries retired, with more than 400,000 tons processed for reuse. Consequently, the recycling of retired batteries has become a priority for industrial resource circularity during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
Earlier this year, the MIIT and five other ministries issued the "Interim Measures for the Management of Recycling and Comprehensive Utilization of Used New Energy Vehicle Power Batteries" in February. The document established a national traceability platform and laid the groundwork for the digital ID system.
Xin's latest remarks signal that the institutional and legal framework for battery recycling will accelerate significantly during the 15th Five-Year Plan.
